The past few weeks have seen one of the most unpredictable campaigns so far in Canadian political history. Unpredictable at first, the ADQ came in with populist, right-wing measures andturned a two-way race into a three-way one.

Dan Glaister
Friday December 1, 2006
The Guardian

Some countries have elections. Some countries have sectarian violence. Others have civil war. But in Canada, they do things differently.

Next March four former Canadian prime ministers will take part in a reality TV show titled The Next Great Prime Minister. The four will grill contestants on their leadership qualities before picking a winner in the one-hour TV special.

While other former leaders will be strutting the world stage - Jimmy Carter worrying about democracy, Bill Clinton about poverty - former Canadian prime ministers Brian Mulroney, John Turner, Joe Clark and Kim Campbell will be donning their best clothes to question five contestants about the qualities needed to lead the nation.

(more in link)

The Guardian

Conservative Bloggers Didn't Rock The Vote In Canada

Some, at least me wonder if there is a liberal vibrant blogging culture outside the Howard Dean sphere that can make a real change and move the netroots/grassroots to actually win an election. I have reason to believe there isnt. This is an article that I found on the Canadian paper The Star.com by a recommendation from a Canadian blogger that tried really hard. It's Antonia Zerbisias who's writing and I recommend y'all to read it. http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&call_pageid=971358637177&c=Article&cid=1137711017928 The liberal blogosphere isnt to be taken for granted. What happend and still happens in US with Dean, Trippi, Daily Kos and all other non conservative bloggers is unique movement in the world.

They try, but blogs won't rock the vote
No Swift boat, no Rathergate for Canadian web logs
Jan. 21, 2006. 01:00 AM
ANTONIA ZERBISIAS

Canada's blogosphere virtually exploded on Wednesday...

 

I don't know if anybody here cares, but some might find it useful.  There has been a lot of talk about the urban/rural split in Canada, and there is probably some truth to it.  But, it is an oversimplification (of course).  The Liberals actually gained 2 rural Northern ridings in Saskatchewan and Manitoba, defeating a Conservative incumbent in the process. The Libs also lost one Northern Territorial riding to the NDP.

For the Americans looking over this, keep in mind we don't have many elected offices like you have.  There are no elected county prosecutors for instance.  In most of the country, we also don't have seperately elected county councillors.  

Canadian Election Results*

Party Seats % Vote
CON 124 36.25%
LIB 103 30.22%
BQ 51 10.48%
NDP 29 17.49%
IND 0 1 .52%
OTH 0 5.05%

Harper will be PM; Martin resigns as Liberal leader.

*Yes, others have posted about this, but . . . well, I list the # of seats won . . . and . . . look over there!  A flying dog!

The message coming out of the election of Stephen Harper and his Conservative Party is clear.  Last night the Canadian people did not vote for the Conservative Party.  Instead, they voted against the Liberal Party.  Canadians and Harper himself know this, and it will colour the way in which this government unfolds over what will be its very brief life.

What will the Tories do in office?
How will they try to expand their appeal?
Who are the contenders for the Liberal leadership, and how will that party rebuild?
Who won the pool?

More below the fold.

This morning, in hearing the news from Canada, I had flashbacks to 2000 (and 2004) in the US. And it was a dark and disturbing flashback.  

Canadian elections going on tonight.

Official Site: Elections Canada national results.

Results thus far. % is popular vote. 155 seats needed for majority:

Conservatives - 124 seats (36.3%)
Liberals - 103 seats (30.2%)
Bloc - 51 Seats (10.5%)
NDP - 29 seats (17.5%)
Others - 1 seat (5.6%)
Total: 308 (of 308)

65,554 of 66,171 polls reporting

The CBC has is calling it for a minority Conservative government.

UPDATE: Thanks to FleetAdmiralJ for taking over with diary #3 on our election -- here. Please recommend that diary up and let's keep this going.

Official results site -- (yes, this is Canada, we have official everything). Elections Canada national results.

You can set it to refresh every 90 seconds if you want.

Last update, per them:(Not final numbers as of yet, just leading. Magic number of seats for majority: 155. Percentage is popular vote.)

Con. 124 - 36.6%

Lib. 102 - 30.4%

Bloc 50 - 10.3%

N.D.P. 31 - 17.4%

Other 1 - 5.5%

Total 308 (of 308)

CBC News is calling it -- minority Conservative government.

Today is the 39th General Election in Canada. Things don't look that great for progressives and liberals (especially the Liberals...)

This is a LONG, but complete entry.

WOO-HOO!  For all you Canadian politics geeks out there!  All, uh, five or six of you...This is your opportunity to show your stuff!

What are your predictions for Monday's election?  Will the Conservatives, as expected, pull off a minority?  Or will they surpass expectation and get <shudder> a majority?  Will people have an "Omigod!  Stephen Harper!" moment in the voting booth, and actually return a Liberal minority?  Oh. My. Gawd.  I'm going to pee myself I'm ao excited!

More below the fold...

Calling all Progressive Activists!!
Canada Needs YOU!!

Canada is unbelievably on the road to electing a Conservative pro-Bush, anti-Kyoto, pro-Iraq War government.  
As a Canadian Progressive I'm calling on all our Daily Kos friends to help in any way they can by emailing or phoning any Canadian friends and relatives they may have and begging with them to reject this option.  

It's bad for Canada, and bad for the World (As the world's 2nd largest country, we do have a proportionate effect on the global environment).  We're your neighbour and largest trading partner, what happens to you affects us and vice versa (though less so--kinda like an elephant sleeping next to a mouse situation)

I'm hoping that my fellow Canadians will vote tomorrow for the NDP candidate in their riding where the NDP has a chance of winning.  Where the NDP does not have a chance at winning, people should hold their nose and vote Liberal to head off a Conservative majority Government

More in the Extended Body

Last night, on a live, Canadian national TV broadcast, the founder and president of Canada's first religious television station, The Miracle Channel, explicitly directed viewers who wanted more information on how they should vote in Monday's parliamentary election to the website of votemarriagecanada.ca. This website contains lists of endorsed candidates and says that the site's purpose is "Working to Elect a Pro-traditional Marriage Parliament."

The Miracle Channel is a registered charity in Canada. It appears to me that The Miracle Channel may have stepped out of compliance with  Canada's regulations regarding charities.

Miracle Channel President Dick Dewert delivered this indirect endorsement of anti-gay-marriage candidates at the conclusion of a three-day-long conference at the station. With him were three U.S. based preachers, including Rick Joyner, a Charlotte-area pastor who is a close friend of the disgraced and now repackaged former head of PTL, Jim Bakker.

Transcript and video, below the fold.

On Monday, Canadians go to the polls to elect our Federal government.  We're likely to elect a minority Conservative government, with the progressive parties collectively holding the majority (the Bloc, while seperatist, are progressive socially).  

As we're all about to see a minor deluge of gloating conservatives, especially in the US blogs, I thought it best to explain why Canada is not undergoing a seismic shift to the Right and is unlikely to do so in the forseeable future.

I argue this based on our system of government, our media and our electoral traditions: Parliamentary Government, the CBC and responsive, substantive discussions during elections.

Another update on events north of the border ...

For a long stretch this past month, it looked like Canada was about to head over the cliff just as we in the States were (slowly) waking up from five years of right-wing myopia.  At one point earlier this week, the Conservatives appeared poised to end the Liberals' 13-year reign, with a lead of as much as 18 points.  Well, after only a few days, they've taken a huge dive according to Strategic Counsel (for CTV and the Globe and Mail).

With a big shift in voter intention in Ontario in the homestretch of the campaign, a new poll shows the Conservative Party's earlier lead whittling away.
[...]
Conservatives have dropped from an 18-point national lead earlier this week to a nine-point lead now, according to interviews conducted Jan. 17 and 18. The national numbers (percentage point change since a Jan 14-16 poll in brackets):

Liberals: 28 (+4)
Conservatives: 37 (-5)
NDP: 16 (-1)
Bloc: 12 (same)
Green: 7 (same)

The most important numbers, however, are in Canada's biggest province, Ontario.

Mark it down. And I will explain why below. But first my seat predictions, a week out from the voting.

Conservatives: 130 to 140
Liberals: 80 to 90
Bloc Quebecois: 55 to 60
NDP: 30 to 35

Many here have been making a call to action in the Canadian election.  With the Liberals trailing in the polls, it was becoming time to do something to prevent a Conservative government.  

Well, something may already have been done.  And who do we have to thank?  None other than Steven Harper, leader of the Conservative Party.

HALIFAX--Conservative Leader Stephen Harper says he's ready to reopen the debate over Canadian participation in the American missile defence system.

The missile defence initiative, combined yesterday with a Harper pledge to turn his back on the Kyoto accord and his refusal to endorse a $5 billion deal for aboriginal aid, could signal the type of major policy realignment Canadians can expect under a Harper government.

Originally posted at Blackstar's Diary re the Canadian Election

Set your watch back 10 years to '96

As an admittedly sloppy analogy for our American friends, albeit one that must look pretty damn sweet to any American in 2006.
(Apologies are extended for the Xmas rudeness of Dec. 26-28 which occurred when Situationists invaded the Howth of Murph and left offensive comments. Things have returned to moderate-Canadian in the Howth, and a Royal Commission has been enacted to study what went wrong.)